Open Script Read (August 2023) [In-Person Only]
Attendance is free, but sliding-scale contributions are greatly appreciated.
Ticketing, concessions, cinemas, restrooms, and our public edit lab are located on Northwest Film Forum’s ground floor, which is wheelchair accessible. All doors in Northwest Film Forum are non-motorized, and may require staff assistance to open. Our upstairs workshop room is not wheelchair accessible.
We have a limited number of assistive listening devices available for programs hosted in our larger theater, Cinema 1. These devices are maintained by the Technical Director, and can be requested at the ticketing and concessions counter. Also available at the front desk is a Sensory Kit you can borrow, which includes a Communication Card, noise-reducing headphones, and fidget toys.
The Forum does NOT have assistive devices for the visually impaired, and is not (yet) a scent-free venue. Our commitment to increasing access for our audiences is ongoing, and we welcome all public input on the subject!
If you have additional specific questions about accessibility at our venue, please contact our Patron Services Manager at cris@nwfilmforum.org. Our phone number (206-329-2629) is voicemail-only, but we check it often.
Made possible due to a grant from Seattle Office of Arts & Culture, in partnership with Sensory Access, our Sensory Access document presents a visual and descriptive walk-through of the NWFF space. View it in advance of attending an in-person event at bit.ly/nwffsocialnarrativepdf, in order to prepare yourself for the experience.
NWFF patrons will be required to wear masks that cover both nose and mouth while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. We are not currently checking vaccination cards. Recent variants of COVID-19 readily infect and spread between individuals regardless of vaccination status.
Read more about NWFF’s policies regarding cleaning, masks, and capacity limitations here.
About
Open Script Read provides a nurturing, participatory environment for budding and seasoned filmmakers to support one another in the ongoing practice of screenwriting. Submit up to 10 pages of your work and participate in a live table-read, where participants will offer feedback to one another.
We are currently seeking new scripts and actors to read roles! Local screenwriters and filmmakers may submit their original work, and one script will be chosen per session. We accept scripts at all stages of development so do not be afraid to submit yours even if it is still in its infancy. Submit your script here in Screenwriting Format, or simply RSVP for the event if you’re an actor who wishes to participate.
Writers Only: If you need more assistance with Screenwriting Format (links to free software and explainer at bottom of page) please contact Education Director Netsanet Tjirongo at netsanet@nwfilmforum.org. If your script is being featured in an upcoming Open Script Read, we will contact you a week or two in advance of the event. (Please do not inquire about whether your script will be featured.)
All are encouraged to attend, even if your script is not being read! We select two short entries per session.
Julia Nagatsu Granstrom
Julia Nagatsu Granstrom is a Japanese American writer who received her B.A. in Creative Writing from the University of Washington. She is a winner of the 2019 SAG-AFTRA Annual Table Read for the Northwest Screenwriter’s Guild. She has previously worked at Warner Brothers Motion Picture Imaging and WB Casting Contracts on films such as Wonder Woman 2, In the Heights, Joker, Just Mercy, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, IT 2, and Doctor Sleep.
Julia is passionate about cultural representation and accessibility in food. Her personal and comedic essays and food writing can be found on her website and social media: www.grindstonewriting.com. IG: @grindstonewriting
Noah Weisel
Noah Weisel is an escapee from Hollywood, where he worked on films you’ve all seen but which he isn’t supposed to talk about. Noah has also made a number of films he’d be happy to talk about but which you’ve never seen — including a feature-length Georgia noir that no one involved is permitted to show you. He is no longer an active Private Investigator and fervently denies creating an underground filmmaking cult that worships Pixelvision. Screenwriting recognition from the Austin and San Francisco Independent film festival competitions – having come with no tangible benefits – is likely an illusion. Lately, contested sightings place Noah in front of various classrooms at Seattle Film Institute but if you really want to find him, check the bar.